Bacterial and fungal cell walls

The bacterial and fungal cell walls are essential, rigid outer layers that provide structural support and protect microorganisms from osmotic pressure. In bacteria, the primary component is peptidoglycan, a polymer of sugars and amino acids, while fungal cell walls are composed of chitin, glucans, and glycoproteins (StatPearls, 2023). These structures are critical therapeutic targets because they are absent in human cells, allowing for selective toxicity. Drugs such as beta-lactams and glycopeptides target bacterial peptidoglycan synthesis, whereas echinocandins target fungal glucan synthesis (NIH, 2022). Disruption of these layers typically results in the loss of cell integrity and subsequent lysis. Because this entry combines two distinct biological structures from different kingdoms, it is considered too broad for a single molecular target definition.

Other names

Microbial cell wallPeptidoglycan layerFungal cell wallBacterial cell envelope

Inhibition of cell wall synthesis by targeting enzymes like transpeptidases (Penicillin-Binding Proteins) in bacteria or 1,3-beta-glucan synthase in fungi, leading to osmotic lysis and cell death.